Weed-burning device



May. y7, 1929.

c. o. MIKLE WEED BURING DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1924 4 Sh'eets-Sheet 1 May 7,1929. Q Q MIKLE 1,712,153

WEED BURNING Dv-ICE Filed lAug'. 22, 1924 4 sheets-Sheer ,2

O O OOOOO'OAO'OOOOOO ,26000000000 00000000000 0 ooooQoooo OOOOOOOOOOOOO y 31401114* OL 4c. o. MIKLE wEED BURNING DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1924y May-7,1929.

Gon@

.wmwwmw May 7, 192,9 lfc; o. MIKLE v 1,712,153

- wED BURNING DEVICE l Filed Aug.- 22, A1924 4 'sheets-'sheetl 4 57 www0/WMM? aucun Patented May 7, 1929.

CLNTON O. MIKLE, OF PORTLAND, OREGON. l

EEDBURNINGl 'DEVICE f Application filed August 22, 1924. Serial No. 733,540.

in a general way the use of a bank of fuel oil burners utilized in connection with a flame director and an adjustable apron, the flame director intensifying the heat and the apron conning and directing such heat to the point of use.

More particularly my invention has to do with the vabove burner, flame director and Vapron. whereby' they may be utilized, con# trolled, adjusted and actuated with the object in view of producing an leffective and eiiicient appara-tus Without unnecessary com-l plications.

l/Vith this general statement in mind, the invention yincluding its several parts, their objects and advantages, will Vbe bet-ter un derstood from the `following detailed description thereof, reference being made .to the accompanying drawings which form a part ofthis specification, and inwhich,

Figure l is a side-view of so much ofthe complete apparatus as directly concerns my present improvements, l

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse takenon line 3 3 of- Figure 2, A

VFigure 4C is an enlarged longitudinal scction through the apron, A l l Figure 5 is a vpartialV transverse section therethrough, Y

Figure 6 is a. partial longitudinal section through the apron adjacent to one of its hinges, Y Y

Figure 7 is a side view, partly in elevatio and partly in sectionshowing one of the eX- pansion joints,

. Figure 8 is an-end view of the flame director,

Figure 9 is a sectional top plan view thereof,

Figure l() is a transverse section Vtaken therethrough, l

Figure'll is a sectional side view of the controlling ratchet of the apron. l'

Referring now especially to the general deviceas best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, my invention proposes certain improvements in an apparatus which isy mounted u on a wheeled frame 20, the wheels thereoil, for railroad' use being adapted te travel 4section Y upon railway tracks so lthat theframe-niay be attached to a locomotive for tractionV purposes and may receive power from such locomotive for the operation of the dilferent appliances comprising. the apparatus, orpreferably may have aboiler of its own, for either or both of the aforesaid purposes, a at 2l. f Y

`Art its rear end,'fra'me 20- has an upper inverted U-shaped supporting bracket 22 best seen in'FigureB, and also has depend# ing vertical straps 23, the latter terminat ing at their lower ends in apertured hinged ears 24'. To these ears are connected the similar `ears 25 of straps 26 securely fasportionV of such boiler being shownV tened to the forwardvportions of the upper g i plate 27 of a rear hollow apron seen vat 28j whose lower plate'29 is connected tothe upper plate 'in spaced apart relation by a series of stud bolts 30, the surrounding edges of the two plates being turned upwardly to form flanges 3l asbest'seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6,V or otherwise lapped or joined together whereby they may be riveted, welded or otherwiseconnected to form the desired water spac`e'e1vvitliin` thisv apron.

VVater'is circulatedconstantly through the water space or chamber' Vwithin the apron 28 by means of water circulating pipes 32,

certain of which extend from the upper for-A ward portion of the apron 28,1to the upper rear portion ofthe same and across the rear y portion, beingY connect-ed thereto by apertured fianges to'form a passage'for low temperatured water tocnter apron 28, and other circulating pipes as'at33 extending across the upper forward portions` of thev apron and through the aperturedears 24' and `25 so as to 4thus form pintles forv the hinges of the apron permitting the latterto be swung upwardly'and downwardly'at the rear of'.

the main fra-me 2O.y In order-to control 'the elevation ofthe'apron 'in its generally horizontalfactive position in use Vas well as to 'draw the apron upwardly to vertical Vinactive position when not 'in use, thev upper yrear portion ofthe apron has spaced eye blocks y34 to 'which are attached the`rear ends'of cables or other flexible connections l10o I 35, the forward ends ofwhich are disposed around ysheaves 3G of considerable diameter,

-mounted uponl a cross shaft 37 in connection with 'smaller 4sheaves 38.

The cio'ss'shaft 37 is mounted in bearings Y wardly and downwardly inclinedr power cyl1nders742, the 'latter having forwardly extending piston rods 43 connected to a cross beam44. This cross beam is equipped at its opposite ends with rollers45 disposed upon guiderails 46, the cross beam 44 having at opposite sidesk of the cylinders 42 a p-air of shackles 47 -t'o which the forward ends of cables or flexible connections 48 Vare joined. The rear ends of these cables are attached to the sheaves 88 beforementioned so that itis thus obvious in view of the difference in diameter between the sheaves 36 and 38 a differential action is set up resulting inrelatively greater movement of the apron as compared to the movement of the pistons and rodsA within the .cylinders 42. These cylinders are supplied with powe erthrough pipes 49 from a steam pump 50 under suitable valved control of course, the steam to operate steam pump 5() being supplied from the `boiler to which the circulat- -ing pipes of the apronz 28 are connected so that the apron vis not onlyconstantly water. cooled but the water heated therein is utilized in the boiler. In other words the apron is constantly cooled and'acts as a feed water heater. Y

Intermediatek its ends the cross shaft 37 supporting the sheaves 36 and 88 is provided with a ratchet wheel 51 seen in Figures 2, 3 and l1, engaged by a dog 52 soV that the apron 28 is thus supported-in any desired position without strain ,upon` itsy adjusting` parts withthe exception of the cables `On account of expansion and contraction i ofthe parts it is preferable vthat the circulating pipes 82 at certain points in their connection with the apron 28 will embody expansion joints, one of which is generally indicated in Figure 2 and includes athreeway casing 53 as plainly seen in Figure y7 into the pair of opposing ports of Awhich sec.-v

tions ofthe pipes 32 are movably held by packing glands. tions of the pipe connections to rotate when ther apron is adjusted by virtuev ofv its adjusting connections previously described and it is obvious that these joints may be placed wherever necessary and other joints of asimilarnature employed wherever ytheir pres- Depending from the rear side portions` of the mainframe 20 are vertical guide straps seen in Figures l and 8, these guide straps i' being disposed transversely preferably .be-

neathV the rear portionof the main frame 2O` and forwardly of the apron 28.

This joint also permits sec#` The castings 56 forming the flame director are lined'with refractory material as indicated at 57 in Figure l0 and form between these refractory linings 57a downwardly and rearwardly opening Vand gradually, enlargingfiame channel 58, the rear portion of which opens beneath the forward portion of theiapron 28 and opposite the forward portion of which a series of burners 59 arev disposed. These burners utilize a miXturerfof steam' and oil and. the flame therefrom through their nozzles 60 is directed into the forward side of the flame channel of the flame director and confined and guided by the vlatter in a downward and rearward direction below the apron 28 the latter-.of which in turn confines the heat to the points where it is needed and desired.

The castings 56 forming the flame director are also provided with slotted ventilating openings 6l so as to defeat tendency to warp and crack, and ,these castings also form a flame director having a flame channel whose,vk

downwardly and rearwardly enlargin shape creates asuction through the flame 'channel' so as to draw air therethrough and greatly intensify the heat and add to the efficiency of theweed burning Vor snow and ice'inelting operation. The flame director as a whole is supported by uprights 62l projecting up* wardly through themain frame and connected as shown in Figure l to the piston rods 68 of power cylinders 64V supplied with fluid below the piston thereof by means of pipes, one of which is seen at 64,1 in Figure l' and it is obvious from thisthatthe flame director as a whole may bemovedverf tically upon the depending guide straps 54 beforementioned. The flame director is also provided with spaced anglebars 65 having bearings 66 at their free ends for the end trunnions 67 of a burner supporting beam 68, the latter extending parallel to the upper front face of the flame director adjacent to the upper forward side of the flame channel 58 and being secured tov and forming a -pivotal support'for the series of main burnj ers59. Thus inthe adjustmentofthe flame director the series of burners 59 willv follow its movement although these burners are at all times subject to adjustment onrthe axis of the supporting bar or beam 68 so that their nozzles 60 may be adjusted` vertically and laterally in the upper forward portion of the flame channel 58 vof the flame director.

The several burners 59 which form the mainl bank of burners are supplied with steam and Voil through flexible` connections 69 'seen inV Figure 1 from supply pipes() best'seen in Figure 2, the latter leading rearwardly from cil and steam headers 71 and 72 also' shown in Figure 2, provided with suitablefvalves controllin'gthe flow of oil and steam to the various pipes leading therefrom.

The main bank ofV burners 59 directing their flamesinto and through the flame 'director are furthermore utilized in connection with burners 73, at each side of and below the main frame, adjacent to and forwardly of the ends of the llame director. These side burners 73, each include a downwardly4 -each burner 73 may thus be tilted in avertical plane so as to vary the position of its downwardly directed nozzle 74. To each nozzle is pivotally secured the rear end of a connect-ing rod 82 whose forward end is similarly connected to an adjusting spool 83 slidable on the forward portion of the steam supply pipe 76 Vand controlled by virtue of its engagement by the lower forked end 84: of an upright adjusting lever 85 having a latch mechanism 86 in engagement with a notched quadrant 87 on the main frame 20, this adjustment of the burner 73 obviously shifting the burner in a vertical plane lengthwise of the machine. In addi-v tion, the steam and oil supply pipes 76 and 77 are rotatable in forward and rear bearings 88, the former of which is swiveled in connection with a support 89 on the main frame 20 so that the .rearportions of these pipes may be raised and lowered with the burners 73 for which purpose the rear bearings 88 are adjustably disposed in `apertures 90 of a bracket 91 depending from the main' frame 20. Moreover the steam and oil supply P l pipes o and H being rotatable in then bearings and having rotatable connections with their forward connecting joints 92, the burner 73 may be shifted in a vertical plane laterally of the machine for which purpose the forward portion of the steam pipe 76 has clamped thereto a ring 93 to which is pivotally joined the lower end of a connect# ing rod'9/iwhose upper end is pivotally connected to the lower angular arm 95 of an4 upright controlling leveru96 provided wi 1h a suitable latch mechanism adapted to engage a suitable notched quadrant mount-v ed on the main frame 20. l

In this way it is obvious that the side burners 73 may not only be raised and lowered but may be swung on their swivel supports in vertical planes both longitudinally and transversely of the machine so that the llames from their nozzles 74 may be directed ness and efliciency of the machine as a whole in so .far as the results of the weed burning operation as .well as the snow and ice melt ing operation are concerned. Y

The machine as awhole is of course drawn along the right of'way in anysuitable man-,4

ner as for instance by means of a locomotive the boiler-,of which may be utilized -as` a source ofV supply for thel steam fed to the several burners as well as to the cylinders for adjusting *the apron and the flamemdirector but as before stated my invention contemplates the.- use of a separate boiler mounted Von frame .20 Aand connected with the apron so that the latter, absorbing as it does a great amount ofthe heat of the main bank of burners, which would otherwise be wasted, will form a feed water heater forVv the boiler, the water passing through the apron for this purpose also functioning to cool the apron at all times by absorbing a portion of the heat.

`My invention presents moreover a machine for this purpose which is practical and highly eilicient, rwhich is strong and durable, and which is without unnecessary complications and is in fact simple as compared to other machines for a similar purpose when its results and itsv general elfectiveness and efliciency are taken into'consideration.

l claimt l. An vapparatus of the character described including a wheeled frame; a source of steam supply in connection therewith;

burners connected to the source of steam supply and supported beneath the rear portion Aof the frame; a fuel supply for said burners; an apron hinged to the rear portion of the frame and beneath which the burners discharge; fluid circulating means in connection with said apron for cooling Athe same and supplying heated feed water to said source of steam supply; and ay flame director transversely of the frame, between the burners and said ,apron and having a rearwardly enlarging and downwardly in-V clined llame channel. Y Y

2. An Vapparatus of the character described including a wheeled frame; a source .of steam supply in connection therewith; burners connected to the source of steam supply and supported beneath the rear portion of the frame; a fuel supply for said burners; an apron hinged to the rear portion of the frame and beneathv which the burners discharge; 'fluid circulating kmeans vin connection with said apron for coolin'gthe sameand supplying heated feed water to said source of steam supply; a flame director transversely of the frame, between the burn- 'ers and said .apron and having a rearwardly enlarging and downwardly inclined flame channel; and ,means `for adjusting the said llame director .and theV said burners verti-V cally withfrespect to thesaid apron.

jlo

B. An apparatus of the. character de- Vscribed including a Wheeled frame; a source lating pipes in connection-with said apron yfor circulating` water throughthe hollow portion thereof, the said pipes being connected to the source of steam supply of the burners for' supplying heated water from Vthe apron to said source of steam supply;

and a flame director transversely of the frame between the said burners and said apron.

4L. An apparatus'ion the character described including a Wheeled frame; a source Y beneath the saine the heat from said burners i and having therein a fluid chamber; circulating pipes for supplying water to said chamber to absorb heat from the apron, said pipes being connected to the source of steam supply for feeding heated water to the latter from the apron;rand a 'laine director trans* versely of the traine between the said burners and said apron.

In testimony whereof hereunto affix my Y signature.

CLINTON O. MIKLE. 

